Advertisement

backlash (n.)

1815, of machinery, "reaction of wheels on each other produced by an inconstant load," from back (adj.) + lash (n.) "a blow, stroke." In metaphoric sense, it is attested from 1929.

Others are reading

Advertisement
Definitions of backlash from WordNet
1
backlash (n.)
a movement back from an impact;
Synonyms: recoil / repercussion / rebound
backlash (n.)
an adverse reaction to some political or social occurrence;
there was a backlash of intolerance
2
backlash (v.)
come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect;
the political movie backlashed on the Democrats
Synonyms: backfire / recoil
From wordnet.princeton.edu